1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a retaining wall and, more particularly, to an angulated retaining wall comprised of posts wherein each post is at a predetermined direction to the respective adjoining post and tightly engaged therewith.
2. Description of Prior Art
Although retaining walls have been used for walls of material such as, for example, dirt, clay and sand, they have commonly been employed in applications where the walls of material have a uniformly flat face configuration. The retaining wall, consequently, is commonly constructed along a substantially straight line configuration to be in contact with the face of the wall of material being retained. Such retaining walls are usually constructed of stone, concrete, steel, timbers, or combinations thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 1,052,251, issued Feb. 4, 1913, G. B. Hoag, is an example of a uniform straight wall of sheet pilings forming a tight sheet impervious to water and quicksand constructed of wood planks, each having a facing strip B of channel steel secured on one of two opposite side of a plank and having flanges facing outwardly. Another facing strip C is of segmental cross section secured on the opposite side of the plank with its curved side facing outwardly. The planks are assembled with the strip C laid into the channel of strip B, making a three-point contact against the two flanges and the web of the channel.
Construction of walls providing for abrupt changes in direction and turning corners is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 850,496, issued Apr. 16, 1907, P. S. Schuchart and G. G. Brown. This patent provides for composite sheet pilings for watertight sea walls, docks, and pier-foundations. The pilings are comprised of interlocked alternating wood planks and metal beams having a relatively complex jaw structure. Each beam has a central longitudinal web from one edge of which two opposite long jaws extend and from the other edge of which two opposite short jaws extend. The opposite jaws of each beam are imbedded in the opposite faces of the adjacent planks.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,939,528 issued Dec. 12, 1933, C. K. Swift, provides for a wall board joint comprising a male and female member, each having longitudinal beveled edges, the angle of bevel of the male member being greater than that of the angle of bevel of the female member, whereby a tight joint is provided. The respective units are maintained in co-planar alignment with respect to each other.
A form of angulated wall has been utilized for retaining a wall of material having a curved configuration which has adjoining square posts set vertically into the ground with the flat side of one post making contact with the flat side of the next post when in a straight line configuration. When the wall curves, an edge of one side will contact the edge of the adjoining side and, as the curvature increases, although one side will appear to be continuous, gaps or openings on the other side of the wall will enlarge as the change in direction from one post to the other increases. A contact between two adjoining posts is provided only along the one line of contact at the edges of the respective sides. A similar wall with adjoining cylindrical posts positioned vertically also provides only one line of contact between adjoining posts. This may prove to be inadequate support for retaining a wall of material wherein ground pressures build up over a period of time and can cause shifting of the individual posts. The disadvantage of said wall is that the posts must be set deeply into the ground and reinforced with straps, cables, and/or long pins to provide additional and adequate support.
The angulated retaining wall of the subject invention is comprised of corner-groove combinations to provide for changes in direction by disposing a corner of a post into the groove of an adjoining post. Said disposing of the corner may be from a maximum clockwise or counter clockwise rotation within said groove to any intermediate rotation therebetween. The preferred angularity of the groove is less than the angularity of the disposed corner. Maximum rotation of a disposed corner within a respective groove is required for applications such as, for example, where abrupt changes in direction are required as at corners. Intermediate rotations of a disposed corner to a desired direction within a respective groove may be necessary for other applications such as, for example, where there are relatively minor departures from a straight line configuration as well as a straight line configuration.
For maximum rotations, supportive contact is provided between a side of a disposed corner and a respective overlapping sidewall of the groove as well as between an adjacent wall of said corner and an edge of the other sidewall of said groove. For intermediate rotations in direction, supportive contact will be between two adjacent sides of the disposed corner and the edges of the two respective sidewalls of the groove. The supportive contacts are augmented by pinning to tightly engage only two adjoining posts. The posts are normally set to about 1/3 their length.
The angulated retaining wall of the subject invention provides a number of advantages such as, for example:
a. Strength. The posts are installed vertically with the diagonal dimension perpendicular to the pressure forces acting against said wall. Consequently, the widest portion of the post is used to counteract said forces which are applied along the entire length from top to bottom.
b. Versatility. To change the direction of the wall as it is being installed, it is required only that the angular rotation of the post members change in accordance with the desired change in direction of the wall. This is done by merely disposing a corner of a post into the respective groove of an adjoining post at the desired direction prior to pinning. Different heights for the wall of the subject invention can be achieved by using longer or shorter posts where appropriate. The tops of said posts can be cut after installation such as, for example, at a 45.degree. angle to create a sawtooth shaped edge, or other appearance as may be desired. The visual appearance of said wall is the same on both sides so that opposite directional changes may be made without changing materials.
c. Simplicity. Materials used for the subject invention are readily available in most lumber yards and material supply centers. Only one edge of a line post has to be modified to create a post that has both a full-length groove (female) and a corner (male) where a corner of a line post is disposed into the groove of an adjoining line post in supportive contact. They are then interlocked and tightly engaged by appropriate pinning at a desired direction with respect to each other. Starter posts and end posts each have a side groove; corner posts have a groove in two adjacent sides. Key posts have no grooves. Various combinations of starter posts, line posts, key posts, corner posts and end posts may be employed to form a continuous angulated retaining wall. Pressure-treated, treated, rot-resistant wood is preferred due to its relatively long life.
The said corner-groove combination allows a corner to be in supportive contact with a respective adjoining groove at a desired direction as needed to form a retaining wall to follow changes in configuration of the face of the wall of material being retained. The pins provide tight engagement between adjoining posts and prevent rotation therebetween. The stability of the angulated retaining wall is somewhat analogous to the stability of a cardboard having a number of angularities or folds and, when resting on its edge, will resist falling over when subjected to side forces.
Posts are installed vertically and, in the event that a post is slightly warped, the groove can be altered slightly to achieve verticality with the disposing corner of the adjoining post. Exposure to moisture may cause the wooden posts to swell sufficiently to seal the corner-groove joints against water seepage. Drainage holes may be easily provided if required to prevent buildup of pressure due to water.
It is an object to provide an angulated retaining wall comprised of relative low cost parts readily available at lumber yards and/or other material supply houses.
It is another object to provide a corner-groove interlocking joint wherein the preferred angularity of the groove is less than that of the corner of the adjoining post and wherein there is supportive contact between a side of the corner with an overlapping sidewall of a groove and between the adjacent side of said corner and an edge of the other sidewall of the groove when the corner is positioned at a maximum rotation with respect to said groove.
It is still another object to provide said corner-groove interlocking joint where there is supportive contact between two adjacent sides of a corner with the two edges of a respective groove when the corner has been positioned at an intermediate rotation with respect to said groove.
A further object is to provide an angulated retaining wall with means to tightly engage said corners and respective grooves for general use and whereever changes indirection must be provided for such as, for example, landscaping and constructions at building sites, highways, and water fronts.
A still further object is to provide an angulated retaining wall comprised of readily adaptable posts wherein it is relatively easy to construct various corner-groove combinations to provide for maximum and intermediate changes in direction for said wall wherein a full-length groove is cut into a single corner of line posts, into one side of starter and end posts, into two adjacent sides of corner posts, and no grooves cut into key posts, and wherein the preferred angularity of the groove is less than that of the respective corner, and wherein combinations of said posts can be readily adapted to form an angulated retaining wall for minor as well as abrupt changes in the configuration of the face of the material being retained and, furthermore, utilized as a straight wall if desired.